


To Save The Imperfect

by GarnetAngel21



Category: Final Fantasy IX
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Brotherly Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23384020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarnetAngel21/pseuds/GarnetAngel21
Summary: Kuja has accepted his fate, but Zidane has not.
Relationships: Kuja & Zidane Tribal
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	To Save The Imperfect

A/N: This is my attempt at writing a fanfic about my favorite Final Fantasy villain, Kuja. I hope I've kept him in character. Any reviews are appreciated.

Disclaimer : I own nothing.

If there was one word to describe him, it would be the word "megalomaniac". He did not care, had never cared and would likely never care for the wellbeing of anyone except himself. It was simply something that he had been incapable of, but this trait suited him well when it concerned his function. He was to bring war and chaos upon Gaia, so that it would be drained of its life and thus Terra would live once more. It would have been hard to inflict destruction upon others should he have had a conscience.

However, fate was always unpredictable and as he lay beneath the volatile roots of a dying tree, he felt something close to regret bloom within his chest. His ribs were broken, the last of his magic had already depleted and he could barely see. The sounds of the tree's vengeful roots whipping around him was his only company and he wondered if he would succumb to his injuries or if it would be the tree that killed him. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing did.

His entire existence had been a lie, but he had already known that since his creation. His creator always made snide remarks whenever he accomplished something, no matter how impressive the feat was, and had never cared much for him at all. He had thought he was different from his empty brethren, his hair silver unique and his intellect far superior, but Garland had never thought that way. He was imperfect, a failure upon which to base a better and more efficient design. In a sad, twisted way, Kuja was the reason Zidane had turned out so powerful. Garland had learnt from his mistakes.

It was bittersweet irony that within his last moments he was thinking of the one that had indirectly been the cause of his miserable existence. If Zidane hadn't existed, Garland wouldn't have treated him as awfully as he did. If Zidane didn't exist, he would've had no need to search endlessly for power. However, he knew now that the boy was innocent and that the only thing he was guilty of was trying to appeal to Kuja's humanity. It was stupid, especially considering that they both weren't even human.

Fool. Kuja thought to himself as he saw a blond haired figure rush towards him, barely dodging the deadly roots. He would have rolled his eyes, but his head throbbed and he was tired. The boy eventually reached him, blue eyes wide with concern. "Kuja, you're alive."

He stared at the boy, his breathing shallow as every breath hurt, and he managed to utter a few words. "You should have left with your friends, Zidane."

"They're safe, thanks to you. I couldn't just go with them, knowing that you were still trapped here." Zidane answered, frowning.

"You're a fool. I've tried to kill you on so many occasions. Why are you here? To gloat? To rub it in my face that Garland had been right all along?" The injured man sneered. 

Zidane scowled at the injured man. "You're the fool if you think that's why I'm here."

Kuja raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed he had actually upset the boy. "I'm going to die, Zidane. There is no point in saving me. Even if you were able to drag my broken body through the tree, we both know my time is limited. I was only ever supposed to exist until you came of age to replace me."

"What's your point?" Zidane looked at him, blue eyes determined. "You were always saying how superior you were, that you'd surpass that old man and here you are accepting the fate he laid out for you. Or was that all talk before?"

Kuja let out a bitter laugh, which caused his chest to constrict and he coughed up blood shortly after. Zidane reached out to him and wiped the blood away with a torn piece of his shirt. The two Genomes stared at each other, both unsure of what to make of their current situation. "I would have risen to your silly jibe in the past, you know. However... I feel differently now about many things. I still hate Garland and I wish I had killed him sooner, however, I think we can both agree that I don't have a lot of time left." He sighed." Fighting against that fate will not change it, but merely prolong the inevitable. I honestly can't think which is worse - to die here, underneath this foul tree or to die in a prison cell in Alexandria."

Zidane didn't respond to Kuja's ramblings, but he offered the man a sad look of understanding. He knew he was right, of course. Kuja was going to die either way, whether it was from his injuries or his limited lifespan. He was a criminal and he had committed a number of atrocities that Gaia wanted him to pay for. Zidane knew that no matter how much Garnet cared for him, she would not be able to speak positively for the man even if he begged her. The blond knew that the broken, dying man next to him deserved no sympathy, but his heart ached at the sight of him.  
"I would ask you to put me out of my misery, but I fear you are incapable of doing so." Kuja said, suddenly causing Zidane to glare at him.

"I don't want to kill you, even though you might deserve it." The boy replied. "I think, in a strange way, I empathize with you, actually. I don't know what Garland did to you and I don't think whatever he did is an excuse for your actions, but I think if our roles had been reversed I would have turned out exactly like you."  
Kuja looked at the boy through tired lavender eyes and frowned. He had abandoned Zidane on Gaia years ago because he had been jealous and fearful, but it had seemed that he had actually done the right thing. Despite having been created to replace him, Kuja could not fully hate the blond that sat next to him. His foolishness irritated him and his lack of manners and style was atrocious, but he felt no true hate towards him. Kuja did not want to imagine how he may have turned out should Garland have raised him- another empty puppet like the other Genomes, except much more powerful. Garland would have won.

The rumbling of the tree's roots became louder and Zidane looked up with dread. They had to get moving, whether Kuja liked it or not. He began to lift Kuja up, despite the silver haired man's protests. He shifted the man so that he was flat against Zidane's back, his legs around Zidane's middle and arms around his shoulders. He knew it was an undignified position, that Kuja would berate him, but he didn't care. Zidane began to move as fast as his own injured and tired body could, dodging the attacks of ferocious roots. He groaned as he saw how far the top of the cliff was, but he kept on moving.

Kuja's protests fell on deaf ears as the boy carried him on his back and he narrowed his lavender eyes. Why was Zidane so stubborn? He could hear the blonde's heavy breathing, see the sweat running down his face and the trembling of his body against Kuja's chest. A strange feeling filled his chest and he knew it was not due to his injuries. His magic was essentially depleted, but using what little strength he had left he managed to cast Cure on Zidane, watching as some of the boy's wounds healed and his breathing became normal.

"Thanks!" Zidane said, as he moved them further up the roots and slashed his way through the ones that attacked them. Kuja did not respond, but he smiled slightly as he saw the edge of the cliff becoming closer. Zidane leaped as high as he could and managed to grab the edge of the cliff, but Kuja's weight prevented him from pulling them up. "Kuja, can you climb?" He asked, his arms aching from the strain of holding onto the rocky surface.

"I'll try." Kuja responded and began to move slowly. Each movement caused pain to flow throughout his body and his head throbbed violently. However, he willed his body to move and he was able to climb onto the cliff. He fell to the ground soon after as Zidane leaped onto the ground next to him. 

The boy smiled brightly as he stared at the sky above them, which had begun to clear. The sun peeked over the mountains, its rays illuminating the wasteland that surrounded them."We made it, Kuja." 

He was met only with silence. At first he thought the man was still brooding, but then he looked at him properly. His eyes were half closed and his chest was barely moving. Zidane frantically tried to look for a Potion, but realized he no longer had any. He sat next to the man, his blue eyes filled with tears and his lip trembled. "Kuja, I..." 

Kuja did not reply, but weakly touched the boy's hand and offered a reassuring smile. They had both known he was going to die, but Zidane had not wanted to accept it up until that moment. He squeezed the man's hand and tears ran down his cheeks as the sun's rays moved towards them, offering a comforting warmth. The blond had so many things to ask and tell the man, but he knew he would not get the chance to do so. 

"Thank you." Kuja said, his voice barely audible through his constricted throat. "For having faith in me... For saving me. Live well, Zidane." Dark lashes covered lavender eyes and the breathing of the silver haired man stopped. 

Zidane brushed stray strands of silver hair away from the peaceful face of his fellow Genome while more tears flowed incessantly down his cheeks." Rest well, brother. "


End file.
